Darren Clarke, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn were set to discover on Wednesday which of them will have the daunting task of following in Paul McGinley's footsteps as Europe's Ryder Cup captain.

Paul McGinley's successor as European Ryder Cup captain could be announced next Wednesday, with Northern Irishman Darren Clarke and Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain leading the chase for the coveted role.

Rory McIlroy wants fellow Ulsterman Darren Clarke to captain Europe's Ryder Cup team in 2016 in what is shaping up to be a battle between the former British Open champion and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez.

The captain of the European side to defend the Ryder Cup against the USA in Minnesota in 2016 will be Darren Clarke or Miguel Angel Jimenez, according two stalwarts of the team Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia.